Written on February 22nd, 2007 by Nick Booth
This is a picture of Chris Bongard who talks to the Grassroots Channel about his neighbours’ campaign to convert their wooden shacks in one of Barcelona’s old shanty towns into purpose built apartment blocks. You can see the homes they campaigned for on the right of the picture, just over Chris’s shoulder. He is standing in Parc Guell with the Carmelo neighbourhood behind him.
Chris tells a story that dates back to the 1970’s as fledgling street level democracy was emerging in Spain from under the shadow of Franco’s fascist dictatorship.
Closer to home we also have residents of Kings Heath and Edgbaston in Birmingham tell us why they love their neighbourhoods.
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Written on February 19th, 2007 by Nick Booth
Says it all…
hat tip to Greg Mankiw
technorati tags: nptech
Written on February 16th, 2007 by Nick Booth
Pete Ashton has reminded me of something I thoroughly enjoyed last month and would encourage you to get along too. This years first Lower Eastside Dialogue was on architecture. I learnt a lot, met some good people and enjoyed myself.
The next two are absolutely up my street, with next week about digital endeavours and the modern city and the following month about heritage and regeneration, which squarely fits my hat as a trustee of the Birmingham Conservation Trust. You can find details at this post, from Pete who I met in the flesh for the first time at the last dialogue. Next week’s is in quite small venue so book if you want to go.
There – any old excuse to use a picture of one of Birmingham’s architectural treaures: Curzon Street Station.
technorati tags: upyerbrum digbeth
Written on February 15th, 2007 by Nick Booth
This programme was recorded by the people of Birmingham to tell us what they love about their neighbourhoods. We’d been offered some space in the marquee on Victoria Square as part of the first birthday of Digital Birmingham.
We just wanted to accomplish a couple of things: introduce more people to the Grassroots Channel and give as many as possible the opportunity to record and then edit their own comments for this programme. It was a chance for people to get their hands on some simple digital technology. Millie and her son Bismarck (in the picture) had a go and everyone found it pretty easy. Most seemed to really enjoy the power of digital editing.
And what were they talking about? It was Valentines’ day so we asked them to tell us what they love about their neighbourhood.
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Written on February 15th, 2007 by Nick Booth
Last year I had a great time working with Kate Chapman and others in Frankley – helping children at Reaside School use podcasting to develop some varied radio dramas. Kate’s grown up job is as a radio drama producer for the BBC here in brum. She’s just been in touch to tell us there’s a whole slew of new stuff coming out of the Mailbox over the next few week’s. This is what you should listen out for:
White Open Spaces by Ian Marchant, Richard Rai O’Neill, Sonali Bhattacharyya, Rommi Smith and Kara Miller. Produced by Kate Chapman and Peter Leslie Wild. 19 – 23 February BBC Radio 4 10.45 am and 7.45 pm A series of short plays written in response to the question of whether a “passive apartheid” exists in the English countryside. Produced in partnership with Pentabus Theatre Company.
Dr Pfeffer’s Lonely Hearts Club by Craig Stephens, Jake Oldershaw and Derek Nisbet. Produced by Kate Chapman. 21/28 February 7/14 March BBC Radio 4 at 11pm A series of late night musical encounters. Consider the mysteries of romantic love and have your heart soothed by the inimitable Dr Pfeffer.
Tiaan by Rupi Dhami and Annalisa Hounsome. Produced by Kate Chapman. 20 February BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm. Two sisters travel across the globe to visit their mother in India for the festival of Tiaan celebrating the bond between mothers and daughters.
First Bite of Air by Stephanie Dale. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Sara Conkey. 26 February BBC Radio 4 2.15pm. A drama documentary focusing on the community of Keresley, once a mining village near Coventry.
What is Missing from your Life? The Men by Stephanie Dale. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild. 5 March BBC Radio 4 2.15pm. A drama doc follow up to What is Missing from Your Life. The Women.
Zubeda by Naylah Ahmed. Produced by Kate Chapman. 10 March BBC Radio 4 2.30pm. An epic tale of an ageing henna artist who has spent her life attending brides but never married herself.
In Form by Louise Ramsden and Tim Jackson. Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Rosie Boulton. 12 and 19 March BBC Radio 4 at 2.15. Two drama documentaries looking at musical form, focusing on pieces by Saint Saens and Beethoven.
And just to make it a touch digital you can always catch up (for a week through the BBC’s listen again service).
Written on February 7th, 2007 by Nick Booth
The headline isn’t mine (thanks Jon Bounds) and neither is the story (thanks for the pointer from Pete Ashton again), but photographer Pete Marshall (troutmask on flickr) captured this pretty image of the Lord Mayor making fulsome use of the double yellows outside the side entrance to the Mailbox in Birmingham.
Citizen Snitch was the title of the e-mail alerting me to this. I think not, after all snitching is a core part of journalism – so Citizen Journalist it is. In true journalistic tradition Paul’s blog entry has even managed to tie editorial and advertising together, if you look at his site google ads is offering all sorts of options to help the Lord Mayor avoid driving fines.
Of course we are only talking about the evidence of one passing citizen.
Now where’s that parking ticket I need to pay (convicted on the evidence of one pair of eyes) and the speeding fine I need to settle (convicted on the evidence of one camera lense).
Written on February 5th, 2007 by Nick Booth
Last month I posed a question about graffiti in Barcelona. Why did it seem that the taggers were avoiding tagging the fabric of buildings. Was this a communal understanding or something else?
Roger Tallada has come up with an answer. He says it’s because of an intense long term cleaning policy by the city council and points us to a before and after film on youtube. Thanks Roger. It still leaves me wondering if the cleaning policy has changed the behaviour of taggers (street artists) on a more permanent basis or whether the cleaning squads simply swoop on anything that appears?
graffiti barcelona youtube